>> we have cloudy skies heading through tomorrow, a storm day with us on wednesday. more updates at 6:19, 6:48 tonight. >> lester holt will be here with nightly news. >> back at 6:00. buy. tonight, states of emergency. two major winter storms targeting both ends of the country. seattle buried under a year's worth of snowfall in just a day, and another big snowmaker taking aim for minneapolis and chicago, to new york and boston. al roker is here. the measles outbreak now growing to at least ten states, blamed on parents not vaccinating their children. as it spreadsome kids now old enough and going around their parents to get the vaccinations themselves. tonight's face-off on the border. president trump in beto o'rourke's backyard. their dueling rallies from miles apart as ay another shutdown. growing concerns over those diminishing tax returns after the gop's tax overhaul. last year this family

got $10,000 back. this year, they owed $10,000. >> it felt very scary, and i felt i had failed my family. honestly, that's how i felt. i thought what did i do wrong? >> tonight the one thing experts say you need to check right now. back legalized weed as pot takes center stage in 2020. >> i have. >> okay. >> and i inhaled. >> kamala harris says it brings people joy and we need more joy. a polar bear invasion. so many roaming the streets people are afraid to go outside. with sea ice disappearing, a new danger on land. and the amazing girl wowing "america's got talent." her version of "fight song" blowing away the judges, and it's the fight of her life that makes her a true inspiration. this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. >> good evening tonight from los angeles as we welcome our viewers in the

west. tonight we're watching major storms on both sides of the country bringing snow, dangerous winds, and some areas. a powerful system here in the west has already buried parts of the pacific northwest with historic snow. the midwest and northeast now bracing for travel problems and a whole lot more as another strong storm system is bearing down. our miguel almaguer starts us off tonight. >> reporter: tonight 105 million people are under winter weather alerts. from all-out whiteouts to nasty wipeouts. 40 vehicles snarled in wisconsin. and this nearly fatal miss in iowa. treacherous conditions are blasting across the country. cars are mangled in minnesota. >> look, they're pushing him! >> police pushing commuters in utah. >> i've been stuck a couple times but never this long. >> reporter: from northern california to north dakota, many are still digging out after epic snowfall. >> this is probably the worst we ever had. >> reporter: snow in seattle also hit a record. more than 6 inches friday and even more

today. streets have turned to slopes.ndaped with powder. >> doesn't happen ever, really, so it's like taking it in while we have it. >> reporter: with this epic snow and ice on the move, some flights have been grounded. while this small plane in indiana couldn't stay on the runway. >> it is snowing. >> in maui. >> after snow in maui, yes, maui, the real winter whiteout is headed east. tonight it's packed a punch. miguel almaguer, nbc news. snow and ice from coast to coast. a lot of major cities in its path. al roker tracking it all for us. al, what are you looking at here? >> lester, this is a wide-ranging storm. from dallas to detroit and into the northeast. we show ins,nd fairly good snows going from omaha to just south of new it moves into chicago and minneapolis by tomorrow morning. it's into new york with an icy mix from cleveland into new york city by the afternoon.

and heavy rain, which may cause flooding down south. snowfall amounts anywhere from 2 to 12 inches of snow back through the midwest and into the northeast, upwards of a foot of snow into parts of northern new england. it's going to be a very busy week coast to coast, lester. >> al, you'll be watching it. thank you. tonight the cdc says there are confirmed cases of measles now in ten states. it's a dangerous childhood disease that we had basically eradicated with the measles vaccine decades ago. now it's sprouting up again in hot spots across the country. the spread blamed on parents not getting their kids vaccinated. as steve patterson reports, now some teens are taking matters into their own hands. >> reporter: measles now a public health emergency with a surge of those infected. across the country the cdc confirming 101 cases since january 1st. the epicenter of the outbreak, washington state, with more than 50 cases. most in clark county which has the lowest vaccination rates.

about one-quarter of kindergarteners there aren't immunized. >> i do have concerns we'll see more numbers. it could get exponentially worse. >> reporter: the threat so severe some hospitals arming each entrance with security guards to screen visitors for symptoms of the virus. and state lawmakers considering a bill that would prevent parents from citing personal reasons for not vaccinating their kids. 18-year-old ethan linderberger lives in ohio, a state that allowed his mom to opt out of vaccinating when he was a kid. today he says he's fact-checked his mom's claims. >> her claims were largely debunked by the scientific community. that vaccines cause autism that they cause. >> reporter: now as an adult linderberger has chosen to get fully vaccinated on his own as health officials scramble to contain a the u.s. nearly two decades ago. steve patterson, nbc news. tonight, president trump has traveled to texas for a rally in el paso with the threat of another government shutdown looming after talks stall over border security. also holding a

competing rally there, potential democratic candidate for president beto o'rourke. our kristen welker is in el paso tonight. >> reporter: before heading to the border to build support for his signature wall, president trump taking new aim at democrats. >> they don't want to give us the space to detain murderers, criminals, drug dealers. >> reporter: the president blaming democrats for derailing negotiations. a new cap on detention beds for those arrested by i.c.e. agents. republicans say that's a nonstarter. also looming over the president's visit to el paso, his comments during the state of the union address. >> now with a powerful barrier in place, el paso is one of the safest cities in our country. >> reporter: but fact checkers and locals here were quick to point out crime was already on the decline in the years before this 40-mile-long barrier was built. the republican mayor among those challenging the president's claim. >> it's not the total

panacea. it's part of an entire process, which needs manpower, technology, all of the above. >> reporter: adding urgency, a stunning split screen as native son, former congressman beto o'rourke, who is eyeing a 2020 presidential bid, will hold a dueling rally. nbc's garrett haake is there. >> tonight's counter protest will end right here, across the parking lot from where president trump is speaking. beto o'rourke and thousands of el pasoans will tell the president stop lying about this city. >> reporter: back on capitol hill lawmakers huddled late today to try and get negotiations back on track. and late tonight, negotiators say talks are no longer stalled but there's still no firm deal.and, of course, the wild card remains president trump. what will he agree to? he's expected here soon. pasfor us as families brace for another hit from another possible government shutdown, we've also been reporting on the growing backlash

against president trump's tax changes as americans learn they're not getting the refunds they expected this tax season, but a growing number of people are also learning they owe the irs more money, largely because of where they live. here's tom costello. >> reporter: preparing her 2018 tax returns, gina ende is struggling with sticker shock. last year, her family got a $10,000 refund. this year they owe $10,000. >> i felt like i failed my family. i thought i was following things closely enough. and i thought, where will we get the money to pay a tax bill? >> reporter: the reason, the ende's property taxes in new york are $18,500. while they used to be able to deduct all their state, local, and property taxes, the republ t capped those deductions at $10,000. the endes, with three kids in college, owe $30,000 in taxes. their employer withheld $20,000. now they're on the hook for another $10,000. they're not alone. 30 million americans are expected to owe

money this year. >> most people did not check their withholding. they didn't change their withholding. and, in fact, they could be setting themselves up for trouble for the 2019 filing year if they don't check it now. >> reporter: importantly, the new tax law doubled the standard deduction for most middle class americans, resulting in lower tax withholdings in 2018. but workers may not have noticed the extra money in their paychecks, especially if they also paid more for insurance. if you fear you're going to owe money, you may be able to reduce your taxable income by contributing up to $5,500 to an ira. but you'll need to do that by april 15th. lester? >> tom costello, thank you. turning now to the democrat under fire for tweets many are calling anti-semitic. late today, congresswoman ilhan omar issued an apology for remarks that were condemned on both sides of the aisle. nbc's kasie hunt has the story for us. >> reporter: democratic congresswoman ilhan omar, one of the first

muslim women in congress, tonight giving in to demands from democratic leaders that she apologize for tweets widely criticized as anti-semitic. >> the key will be that when we make a mistake like that, conscious or unconscious, that we don't repeat it. that will be the proof of the pudding. >> reporter: on sunday suggesting money was driving u.s. politicians to defend israel, writing quote, it's all about the benjamins, baby. house judiciary committee chairman jerry nadler, who is jewish, said it was deeply disappointing and disturbing that omar appears to traffic in old anti-semitic tropes about jews and money. hours later, omar tweeted she was listening and learning but standing strong. writing quote, my intention is never to offend my constituents or jewish-americans as a whole. this is why i unequivocally apologize. omar has been considered a rising star, part of the new group of young women elected to congress. >> together we can

organize around the politics of hope. >> reporter: but this isn't the first time omar has been accused of anti-semitism.eted quote, israel has hypnotized the world. later admitting she had chosen unfortunate words. kasie hunt, nbc news, the capitol. let's turn now to the 2020 campaign for president, and a big change in the way candidates are talking about pot. senator kamala harris tackling the question today, and she handled it differently than the candidate a quarter century ago who famously said he didn't inhale. hallie jackson has details. >> reporter: for kamala harris, no hesitation and no big deal, it seems, to acknowledge her pot-smoking past. >> have you ever >> i have. >> and i inhaled. i did inhale. it was a long time ago. but yes.>> rorter: the california senator now supports legalizing marijuana as she breakfast club" radio >> do you remember the

high? >> i do. >> if it was legalized all throughout the country and medicinal, would you do it again? >> listen. i think it gives a lot of people joy and we need more joy in the world. >> reporter: the same question was hardly a laughing matter for then-governor bill clinton nearly three decades ago. >> i didn't like it. and didn't inhale. >> reporter: since then, slowly but steadily, the stance towards smoking has shifted for presidential contenders. remember this from barack obama? >> i inhaled. frequently. that was the point. >> reporter: now for democrats, it's a cannabis-friendly field that includes senator amy ofuccial in weathe that was anything but minnesota nice. and senator elizabeth rrspsored legislation to make it easier for states to legalize pot. bottom line, come 2020, any stigma surrounding marijuana hallie jackson, nbc news. thousands took to the streets in denver today where teachers

went on strike for the first time in 25 years. the latest city where teachers say they've had enough of unfair pay. our morgan chesky is there. >> reporter: their battle cry split a bitter cold. more than 2,000 teachers marching outside denver schools in what leaders called a last resort. >> teachers, they don't know exactly what they're going to make from month to month. >> reporter: denver's push for competitive pay the latest in a nationwide movement. following a recent teacher strike in l.a. and others in oklahoma and kentucky. denver teachers stress this strike didn't happen overnight, pointing to 15 months of failed negotiations with the district. art teacher kellen walsh works four jobs e the strike the district promised to keep schools open.but at east >> reporter: despite teacher shared a video of a hallway dance party with no school staff in sight. >> it is a problem for kids not to have teachers in class. i want to get this

done now. >> reporter: a call for compromise these teachers are willing to wait for. morgan chesky, nbc news, denver. the nationwide manhunt is intensifying for a georgia attorney accused of killing his own mother. tonight his family remains on edge. nbc's tammy leitner has the latest in this shocking story. >> how could you do this to us? we trusted you. >> my name is rich merritt. >> reporter: as police hunt for richard merritt, his family is paralyzed by fear. >> we're terrified. we're terrified bekn he's capable of. to police, merritt killed his mother in cold blood. his ex-wife, dr. janine merritt, says he threatened them the day before. >> i can't describe the magnitude of how he hurt us. >> reporter: she says for years he was deceiving them. >> he stopped paying our mortgage. he pawned my daughter's handicapped van that we needed for her wheelchair. >> reporter: merritt was accused of stealing more than $420,000 from clients.

merritt was disbarred after pleading guilty to theft, forgery, and elder exploitation. last month a judge sentenced him to 15 years in prison. granting him two weeks to get his affairs in order. authorities say he cut off his ankle monitor before murdering his mother, shirley, who according to merritt's attorney posted her son's bail last march, and in a text said, i know richard is not violent and would not kill anyone. his attorney says, i pray that if there is any dignity left in him that he turns himself in peacefully. law enforcement warning merritt could be anywhere. >> my biggest concern is he could hurt someone . orr: tammy leitner, nbc news. the cleveland browns feeling heat today for signing a troubled nfl star after he was caught on camera shoving and kicking a woman. that video posted by tmz sports led the chiefs to cut kareem hunt in november. hunt has apologized but he's not eligible to play until after the nfl finishes its own investigation.

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th next tonight, the warning this valentine's day, if you or someone you know uses a dating site or app. nbc's kathy park has an exclusive look at scams leaving so many victims feeling ripped off and brokenhearted. >> reporter: after a divorce, connie went looking for love online. she asked us to use an alias and conceal her identity for fear of embarrassment. >> it's hard to meet people in real life. >> reporter: connie eventually overcame her doubts, joining the 40 million americans who use dating sites. med to be a t her a mano cl doctor. but their conversations went from sweet to shady. >> he said, yeah, you can send me $100 on an amazon card.

>> reporter: these romance scams are growing. more than 21,000 reports last year according to the federal trade commission, with a median individual loss of $2,600. >> once somebody asks you for money that is a huge, huge red flag. >> reporter: experts say do some research. scammers often use phony profiles, hooking victims by their heartstrings without ever meeting. connie lost $50. >> i was very upset because it was a waste of time and energy. >> reporter: daters beware that online flame can break your heart and burn a hole through your wallet. kathy park, nbc news. up next here tonight, the animal invasion that's got because my body can still make its own insulin. and i take trulicity once a week to activate my body to release it, like it's supposed to. trulicity is not insulin. it starts acting in my body from the first dose

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back now with what you won't see at the oscars. the academy said today that awards for best cinematography, film editing, live action short, and makeup and hairstyling will be presented during commercials to

streamline the show. now to the unusual invasion causing a state of emergency that has families afraid to leave their homes in one russian town. nbc's kelly cobiella explains. >> reporter: it's a wild scene. hungry polar bears and their cubs rummaging through a landfill, even wandering down a hallway in this small arctic town they've counted at least 52 bears. russian officials have declared a state of emergency saying locals have been attacked. with sea ice disappearing, the endangered animals are spending more time on land. >> we've seen definite trends in certain parts of the arctic where polar bears are congregating in ways that we have not seen before. >> reporter: in russia, killing them is a crime. so now a plan to scare away these out of towners and get rid of the garbage so the bears don't wander back looking for a snack. kelly cobiella, nbc news. up next here,

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sending to his former girlfriend, could land him in court. the girl at the center of the case talks to us, as we investigate charges of revenge porn, and a video that s haunted her for years. next. in our spotlight we want you to meet a girl competing on tonight's "america's got talent" who has wowed millions with her rendition of "fight song." what you may not know is just how much of a fighter she really is. here's kristen dalgren. >> reporter: she's the voice. ♪ this is my fight song take back my life song ♪ >> reporter: and a golden ticket to the finals of "america's got talent: the champions." while anjelica hale is a fierce competitor on stage, it doesn't compare to the battle

she waged just a few years ago. >> i went through multiple organ failure. >> reporter: when she was just 4, double pneumonia and sepsis almost took her life. >> i think the worst part for me was not knowing if i was going to make it or not. >> reporter: in her darkest days it was her love of music that kept her going. >> it would take me to a far-away land that i was just in my own happy place, where there were puppies and unicorns and rainbows. >> reporter: and always her family. her mom eva was able to donate one of her kidneys to save anjelica. how thankful are you to mom? >> oh gosh, i love her so much. now that i actually have a piece of her in me. ♪ >> reporter: every time anjelica takes the stage it's a victory and inspiration. >> her story and what she's gone through in her life, that's always going to ground her. >> i felt like i had an impact on people. >> reporter: an 11-year-old with a powerful voice fighting for more than a tv show title. ♪ i've still got a lot

of fight left in me ♪ >> reporter: kristen dalgren, nbc news, suwanee, georgia. >> what an inspirational story. terrific. we wish her all the luck tonight. that's "nightly news" for this monday. i'm lester holt. for all of us at nbc news, thanks for right now at 6: taking another swipe at i think this whole border issue is an manufacture. taking another swipe at president trump. governor newsom's plan at the border. plus, what did he do food in a bay area grocery store. stretching from southern california to santa clara county. but first -- >> i tried so hard to get rid of everything. i tried hard to forget it. >> we investigate a case of revenge porn filed against a bay area football star. the news at 6:00 starts right now. good evening, thanks for being with us. i'm raj mathai. i'm jessica aguirre.

he's considered a rising star in college football and his star began rising in the south bay. now his future as an athlete and a stee f student is in jeopardy. >> this is a case that involved the relatively new state law of revenge porn. we broke the story this morning. let's bring in vicky nguyen who has the exclusive details. >> revenge porn is a crime only on the books in california since 2013. but revenge porn is the act of distributing intimate images to cause serious emotional distress. that's what the victim in this case alleges andex-boyfriend. >> 19-year-old maurice washington iii. a football star at kings cad may in sunnyvale. a freshman playing for the university of nebraska now. according to a search warrant